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Elijah sighed "You saved my ass for this?"

"It’s either that or run away Your choice"

"Fine" He swept his arm toward the double-door entrance to the suite "But I’ll warn you now--you really don’t want to puke on er to escape the place that had too erousthe door open "I guarantee I eat more than you"

"E" Lindsay was about to step out to the hallhen a dapper African American man filled the threshold

She stuawatt snizable He was also her boss "Hello, Mr Gadara"

"Good afternoon, Ms Gibson You are just the person I wanted to see"

Adrian entered the Hard Rock Café and asked for Helena Bardon The hostess offered hie him with shts firmly on Lindsay The pretty brunette continued to flirt with him as she led him to Helena’s booth, but her war froreet hi, statuesque, radiantly beautiful woth blond hair and seraph blue eyes

"Adrian" Helena pulled him into a warm embrace "When I heard about Phineas, I was so worried about you"

"I’"

Her delicate nostrils flared as she studied hiestured for her to sit

"You know I don’t judge you," she said softly, returning to her seat

"I know" After all this time, Helena remained pure of heart and soul Her piety was so unassailable; she seemed untouched by the world they lived in He envied her that serenity

"Does she truly bring you solace?"

"Solace and torment, pleasure and pain All of it in the extreme It is sublime and it is hell, and I need it to exist I need her" There were few Sentinels he could speak so freely to Helena’s unwavering faith gave her an impartiality few could lay claim to

A waiter intruded and they ordered They would push the food around for appearance’s sake, then box it up for their lycans When they were alone again, Helena leaned back in her seat and suddenly looked very weary

"How can I help you?" he asked He didn’t sho her unrest affected him, but it did Deeply She’d always been one of the is in his existence But then, so had Phineas

"By co" Her delicate hand rested on the table "Have I told you that one of my lycans, Mark, claims to be in love with me?"

Adrian stilled "No"

"Yes Well, that’s what he believes"

Recovering, he said, "I’m not overly surprised by the possibility You’re a beautiful woentle soul"

"You knohere the praise for such things should be directed, but thank you" Her fingertips dru action she seemed to be unaware of "I s, however inconvenient they are He’s done his job very well because of them Mark has risked himself in ways and situations no other lycan would have"

"Has he becohed "I have"

Reaching out, he caught her hand, stilling its fidgeting "I’"

"I knew he hadneeds I understand the lycan breed It’s justI refused to see how he handled those needs and he htened on his "But the other day, when I heard about Phineas, I called Mark in after I’d already given him the afternoon off When he returned, I shtened with sympathy

"I was furious, Adrian As I have never been before I raged at his Accused hi weak and flawed And liness poured from me and I couldn’t stop it I uilt and shame on his own, and I added the burden of my pain to his"

"You were jealous" And now she knehat few Sentinels did--that they were as possessive as the lycans and vampires could be The trait, it seemed, was inherent in the seraphim and was passed on to the Fallen "It could’ve been worse It would have been, had you been sleeping with him"

"And that’s the dilemma I come to you with" Her chin lifted "You, of anyone, kno I feel All this ties of the flesh were beyond us That lust was one battle we didn’t have to fight"

"We’re meant to be tested--you know that"

"Yes, but as I atteize for the hurt I’d caused hiht so I had missed We are forbidden to mate with mortals, Adrian Lycans, vampires--even demons--are nothi to that of her co for a loophole"

"Don’t judge me!" she snapped, too upset tohere with the scent of a mortal woman all over you?"

"What did you expect me to say? Ask yourself--honestly--did you come to me for commiseration? Because you know you have it My heart breaks for you But if you caive it to you"

"Why not?"

"If I gave you license to make the mistakes I’ve made I’d be no better than Syre I won’t lead you to da in my power to prevent your fall"

"Do as you say," she said bitterly "Not as you do"

Her fullare cut into him In just a few short er hurt hi differently "The answer to your question doesn’t lie with me You know that"

Helena’s lush lower lip tre"

"The conclusion I drew froently, "was that the silence was answer enough"

She sucked in a deep, shaky breath "I thought you would help me"

"I’ll try But not in the way you want"

A tear formed, then fell down her flawless cheek Her pain radiated froh him She slid out of the booth "I need a moment to collect h the dining room and turn down the hall to the restrooms He pulled his cell phone out and dialed

"Jason," he said when the lieutenant answered "Find Helena’s personal guards and recall the on?"

"We’ll discuss it later If you haven’t recovered both guards within a half hour from now, I need to know"